Side-Mounted Monocular with Rotating Arm for Stable Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hand-held optical devices, such as binoculars and monoculars, often suffer from stability issues when used one-handed, leading to shaking and blurring of images.
Innovation Solution
A compact, hand-held monocular device with a unitary construction that allows it to be held against the side of the head, featuring a rotatable viewing arm and light-directing tubes for stable imaging, and the ability to convert between active and storage configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the monocular device is held in front of the eye extending away from the body, then the optical path is simplified, but balance issues cause shaking and blurring of the image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the monocular device from the traditional front-of-eye location to the side-of-head location, changing the spatial dimension of device placement. This dimensional change allows the device to extend backward along the side of the head rather than forward from the eye, improving balance and reducing image shaking while maintaining an extended optical path configuration
2Adaptability or versatility
If binoculars are designed for two-eye use, then the field of view is enhanced, but the device size increases making them difficult to store and use one-handed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts one eyepiece from the binocular configuration, creating a monocular device that provides a simplified single-eye field of view while significantly reducing device size. This extraction allows the device to be compact enough for one-handed operation and easy storage, while still delivering enhanced viewing capability compared to unaided vision
3Volume of moving object
If the monocular device is made compact for portability, then storage space is reduced, but the optics become vulnerable to dust and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates protective caps that cover the objective lens and eyepiece when the device is in its compact stored position. This preliminary protective action is automatically activated when the device is folded for storage, preventing dust and debris contamination of the optics while maintaining compact portability. The protection is built into the storage configuration itself
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides crisp, clear, and stable images even when hand-held, with the ability to record and transmit images, and incorporate features like night vision, infrared imaging, and augmented reality.
Implementation Method 1
an objective optical element located on a front end of the main body that gathers light from an object
Implementation Method 2
the viewing arm is rotatably connected to the front end of the main body, wherein the viewing arm first end rotates about an axis parallel to a viewing axis of the objective optical element
Data Source
AI summary
A compact, hand-held monocular device having excellent stability in view of its construction which allows the device to be held against the side of the head of the user. The device is of unitary construction, without assembly of multiple parts necessary, and can be manipulated between an active, in-use configuration which allows one-handed operation, and a storage configuration wherein the device folds flat, allows protection of the optics and storage in a small space such as a pocket or purse or hung on a neck lanyard.